Nithya Krishnamurthy Has Founded Clubs that Suit Her Charitable Passions

Committed Club Founder

Some students volunteer merely to beef up their college applications or to fulfill their required high school community service hours, but 15-year-old Carmel Valley resident Nithya Krishnamurthy volunteers because she truly wants to change the world for the better. Nithya is sincerely committed to her volunteering opportunities: she entertains children in the pediatric wards at Kaiser Hospital, coaches underprivileged kids in math at Math Counts in the summer, volunteers at the Barnes Tennis Center, and she develops dance routines alongside autistic teens through the Positive Action Theater in Encinitas.

In addition, Nithya is the president of numerous clubs, such as the Bone Marrow Drive Club, the Ravenettes Robotics, the Translational Science Club, and the Ekal Vidyalaya youth chapter, a nonprofit that encourages teens to raise funds for schools in the remote villages of India. Discussing her Ikal Vidyalaya goals, Nithya stated, “My mission is to visit a few of the schools in rural India to ascertain firsthand the success and impact of our efforts.”

If there are no clubs available that suit Nithya’s particular passions, she simply starts them up herself. Nithya founded the Caring for Cancer nonprofit, in which she provides care packages and gas cards for cancer patients and their caregivers. She also founded the Girls Who Code club at her high school, Canyon Crest Academy. Describing its purpose, Nithya elaborated, “Many girls drop out of science and technology classes because they fear they’ll be the only girl in a class of boys. Therefore, I wanted to have a club where girls were empowered to learn – in a friendly, inviting space – the curriculum that produces practical applications and has a wider impact on the community.”

When she isn’t involved with clubs and volunteerism, Nithya keeps busy with tennis, golf, and taekwondo, in which she holds a black belt. Nithya is also musically inclined and plays the piano, the violin, and the Veena, a traditional Indian instrument. She enjoys traveling and especially cherished her family trip to Santorini.

In the future, Nithya wants to become either an oncologist or a neurologist. She also plans to incorporate her love of computer science into her chosen profession. Nithya explained, “I love the personal aspects of medicine and spending time with patients, so I hope I can use technology in ways that will make it easier to deliver the care.” If anyone can make this happen, Nithya can.